Interactive read alouds are an important component of a balanced literacy classroom. Research proves the value of reading aloud to students of all ages, and shows that students benefit from being read aloud to several times throughout the week.
Thoughtful planning of an interactive read aloud lesson plan template is critical for its success. Teachers should select a text that is both meaningful and engaging to students, while considering how the text will support lessons, units, or themes that the class works on during the year. Thought-provoking questions are essential to every interactive read aloud. Using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Dimensions is one way to ensure students will take part in a variety of discussions from understanding the plot of the story to analyzing the author’s message.
This lesson is an example of an interactive read aloud of a picture book that can be modified to use with grades K–5. Text-dependent questions are provided based on the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Dimensions in order to promote higher levels of text discussion.
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.
I used this book after I taught my mini-unit on primary and secondary sources using materials by and about Ruby Bridges. I was surprised to learn that Brown vs. The Board of Education was not the first racially based lawsuit against a board of education. This book was a great follow up to our readings about Ruby Bridges. There is also a short video I let my students watch with Sylvia Mendez and her sister Sandra Mendez Duran! Click play.